Building a Conglomerate in Another World-Chapter 215: Path to War

The White House – Evening, June 1896

The atmosphere in the presidential office was suffocating. The room, normally quiet aside from the rustling of papers and the soft crackle of the fireplace, was now filled with the anxious murmurs of Matthew Hesh’s closest advisors. The gravity of the situation had settled like a heavy fog over Washington, and the entire nation was on edge.

Matthew sat behind his desk, fingers steepled together, his mind racing. The forty-eight hours he had given Spain had passed.

And now, it was too late.

Bradford had made his move.

The Assistant Secretary of the Navy had gone behind his back, leaking classified documents to the Amerathian press. Newspapers across the country had published "new evidence" allegedly proving that Spain had intentionally ordered the attack on the USS Resolute.

The headlines were damning.

"Spanish Betrayal! Orders Found Directing Attack on Amerathian Warship!"

"Our Sailors Were Murdered—War Must Be Declared!"

"The Spanish Empire Has Spilled Amerathian Blood—We Must Strike Back!"

Public outrage exploded overnight. Cities erupted in protests, demanding vengeance. In Boston and New York, crowds gathered outside Spanish consulates, waving Amerathian flags and chanting for war.

The pressure on Matthew was mounting.

Sinclair slammed a newspaper onto Matthew’s desk. "There’s no coming back from this, Mr. President."

Matthew exhaled through his nose, leaning back in his chair. He knew. The moment that article had hit the press, the public would accept nothing less than war.

Admiral Welles stood, his posture rigid. "With all due respect, sir, the people demand action. The entire country is looking to you to act."

Matthew stared at the newspaper, the inked words screaming at him. He looked up. "And what if the Spanish investigation proves otherwise?"

Sinclair folded his arms. "It won’t matter."

The President’s fingers curled into a fist. "It matters to me."

The room went silent.

Sinclair sighed, rubbing his temple. "Mr. President, I understand your caution. I do. But whether or not Madrid actually ordered the attack is irrelevant now. The people believe they did. If you hesitate any longer, you’ll be seen as weak."

Matthew’s jaw tightened. Weakness. That word burned in his mind.

The Spanish ambassador had promised a report, but the Amerathian people wouldn’t wait for diplomacy.

And neither would men like William Bradford.

***

The cabinet room was filled with high-ranking military officials and senior government leaders, all awaiting the President’s decision. Maps of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines were spread across the table.

Matthew entered, and the murmurs ceased.

He didn’t sit down. He remained standing, arms crossed, scanning the faces in the room.

Visit ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

"Before we begin," he started, his voice controlled but firm, "has Spain responded?"

Collins, his Chief of Staff, cleared his throat. "Madrid has sent a brief message denying all responsibility. They claim the evidence presented by our government is falsified."

Bradford scoffed, shaking his head. "Of course they would deny it. They were caught."

Sinclair leaned forward. "The people don’t care about Madrid’s excuses, sir. They want action."

Matthew took a deep breath. "Then let’s assume for a moment that we do go to war. What is our strategy?"

Admiral Welles stepped up, pointing to the map. "Our primary target would be Cuba. It’s their most valuable colony in the Americas. We strike their naval forces there, land troops, and force them to surrender."

General Nathaniel Harrington of the Army nodded. "We can have 50,000 men ready to deploy within two months."

Bradford smirked. "And while the Army handles Cuba, the Navy can sweep across the Pacific. We could seize the Philippines, Guam, and the Spanish Pacific islands within months."

Matthew’s stomach twisted at the sheer eagerness in Bradford’s tone. The man didn’t want justice. He wanted conquest.

"What about casualties?" Matthew asked.

General Harrington sighed. "Hard to say. The Spanish Army is weak, but their navy still holds power in the Caribbean. If they reinforce their positions, it will be costly."

"And how long will the war last?"

Silence.

Then Welles answered, "If we do this right? Less than a year."

Matthew closed his eyes briefly. He had wanted to avoid war. But that option was gone now.

The people demanded blood. Congress would demand blood.

And if he didn’t act? The next President would.

He looked up. "Prepare the war declaration."

Two days later, June 18, 1896, President Matthew Hesh stood before Congress. The chamber was filled to capacity, senators and representatives waiting in tense anticipation.

Newspapers had already declared war. The only thing missing was his official approval.

Matthew exhaled slowly before speaking.

Read exclusive adventures at novelbuddy

"Fellow Amerathians," he began, his voice calm but resolute, "we stand at a crossroads in history."

The chamber fell into dead silence.

"The USS Resolute was attacked in what can only be described as an unprovoked act of aggression. Eighty-seven of our sailors were taken from us. Fathers, sons, brothers—men who gave their lives in service to this nation."

The murmurs grew.

Matthew continued. "I have sought diplomacy. I have waited for answers. And yet, Spain has offered none. Their silence is an insult to the memory of the men we lost."

A roar of approval came from the chamber.

"I did not seek war. But now, war has come to us. We cannot, and will not, allow such an atrocity to go unpunished."

Louder cheers.

Matthew’s hands gripped the podium. "Therefore, I stand before you today to request a formal declaration of war against the Kingdom of Spain."

The room erupted.

Thunderous applause, cheers, and chants of "Amerathia! Amerathia!" echoed through the halls of government.

It was done.

The Spanish-Amerathian War had begun.

As Matthew left the chamber, Sinclair walked beside him.

"You did the right thing, sir," he said.

Matthew didn’t respond.

Because deep down, he wasn’t sure.

As he walked out of the Capitol, Bradford stood waiting for him.

The Assistant Secretary of the Navy gave a small, victorious smirk. "This is the start of something great, Mr. President."

Matthew stopped, turning toward him. "This is the start of war. There is nothing great about that."

Bradford, undeterred, simply smiled wider. "We’ll see."

Matthew walked past him.

He had made his decision.

Now, history would judge him for it.